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[sue_ellen]

A companion pony for loan? Its a long story but my novice friend bought a pony for her daughter, had him vetted, but 3 months later had to retire him due to arthritis. He is 14hh, 18 yrs old and not on any medication. He is paddock sound and perfectly happy but is not rideable.

She is in an awful state as she does not know what to do for the best, her 10 yr old daughter wants to ride but she cannot afford livery for two. He is advertised on Horsemart and on Preloved and in the local tack shop. She feels guilty for letting her daughter down but wants to do the best for the pony. She has also tried local charities but they are all full.

She took him to Oakham and they did a full lameness workup earlier this year, this was when she got the diagnosis. They offered to put him to sleep there and then but she was horrified at the thought.

He's a really nice, easy to do, loveable little chap, lives out all year.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks for reading!

 

[alfiesmum]

why did they offer to pts? they obviously had reasons, the pony will most likely get worse as time goes on. can she claim loss of use on insurance? does she have a claim against vetting?

 

[sue_ellen]

I think they offered to pts simply because he cant be ridden any more. I suppose he will get worse eventually as he gets older. She didnt insure him as he was 18 when she bought him and it is difficult to insure them when they are over 15, I think. She tried to claim against the vet but wasn't successful. She has thought about claiming against the lady who sold him but it would be difficult to prove that she was deliberately mislead. Bloods were taken but I think now she has just decided that he is hers and she loves him and just wants to do the best she can.

 

[alfiesmum]

it is a shame however, i do think there your friend needs to weigh up the options, he is not getting any younger and pts is not often offered for no reason, maybe there is more to it than you realise.
just because he cant be ridden is not a reason to pts.
if there are underlying issues then this may be the case, sorry but dont think the picture is very clear
good luck with what you decide x